Wolfgang Rihm

The Arditti quartet were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of their friend and colleague Wolfgang Rihm. Our relationship went back to ’80’s when we first met in Darmstadt. Actually Wolfgang first heard the quartet in our first ever concert in Germany, in Karlsruhe in 1977. He wrote four of his quartets for us and we also gave the premiere of his sixth quartet. Several other pieces followed including his ‘Fetzen’ with accordion and Dithyrambe with orchestra.
Sometimes I would call him up when he was writing a piece for us and he would say ‘hold on’ and then thumb a melody on the piano, telling me this was my theme.
He was not afraid to write more accessible music at a time when this was considered not the thing to do and have performances of his music surrounded by the avant-guard. His compositions now breathe with their own unique personality.
Wolfgang was a warm and generous man and he is sorely missed by all of us in the quartet.
(photo Regina Hepner, taken in a relaxing moment at the Hindemith Institute in Blonay, Switzerland in 2008)